Improvement in bee-hives



N-PETERS. FHOMUTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. c.

initrd gime .gaat ein Letters Patent No. 98,612, dated January 4, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT 1N BEE-Elves.

The Schedule referred to in these lLetters Patent and making part of thesame.

T o all'whom 'it may concern f Be it known that I, JOHN MONTGOMERY, ofUnion City, in the county of Obion, and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new' and improved Bee-Hive;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,I

clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable others skilledin the art to make and use the same, reference being hadv to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is aperspeetive view of my improvedhive, the cap, doors, andi'ames being removed.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of two of the frames.

Figure 3 is frames.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the hive, with the cap and doorsremoved.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the same, complete.

Similar letters` of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnisha simple and convenientbeefhive, which shall be so constructed and arranged as to greatlyfacilitate the management of the bees, and which will, at the same time,protect the hive from the ingress of the moth; and

a vertical crosssection of one oi' the It consists in `the constructionand combination of4 various parts of the hive, as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

A is the bottom board of the hive, to-the side edges of which areattached the stationary side boardsnB.

O is apaltition crossing the centre of the bottom board A, and the edgesof which are secured to said bottom board A and to the side boards B,thus dividing the hive into two compartments or sections. The partitionC has a hole formed through it, to allow the bees to pass from onecompartment to the other.

This hole or opening is closed by a slide, D, passing in lthrough a slitin the side board B, so thatitmay be operated to open or close saidopening from the outside 1of the hive. i

rlhe bottom board A, in the middle part of each section, is recessed,said recesses being about threelfourths of an inch deep, three and aquarter inches wide, and extending from one side of the hive aboutthree-fourths of the distance across said bottom-board.-

These recesses are continued through-the side of the hive, and withinthe hive are covered with a metallic plate, E, let into the bottom boardA, s'o `that its uppersuriace may be flush with the surface of the saidbottom board.

In or near the middle parts of" the plates E are formed two openings,which are formed by slitting the said plate4 E, and then binding the`said plate around said slits downward, so as to reach about half way tothe bottom of the recesses in the board A. The openings thus formed arethe entrance-openings for the bees, and the manneriu which they areformed prevents .the entrance ofthe moth.

', In the plates E, near their inner ends, are Vformed smallperforations, as shown in iig. 1.

F are frames, seven (more or less) of which are placed side by side ineach section or compartmentof the hive. v

The frames F, I prefer to make about ten by twelve inches, insidemeasurement, or of such .a size as to fit into the space between theside-boards B, and to equal the height of the partition O. The frames Eshould be about one inch thick, and one and ive-eighths inch wide, andshould be jointed, soas to t closely to each other, and thus form, whenplaced side by side, a close box. Y

The end frames should have glass set in them, as shown in iig. 3.

vThe side edges of the lower side of the top parts o the frames 11 arerabbeted, as shown in fig. 3, to form a dowhwardly-pi'ojecting bead, forthe attachment of the comb, so that the frames may not be glued togetherby the bees in attaching the comb, thus allowing each frame and itsattached comb to be removed separately.

In the lower' bars of the frames F, that are over the holes in theplates E, are formed corresponding holes, so as to be a continuation ofthe entrance-passages; and in the said frames, directly over the smallperforations in the plates E, are formedopenings, so as to be acontinuation of said perforations, as `shown in Ii 2. p

gG is a cap, which lits over the upper parts lof the frames F, and thelower edges of which rest upon the upper edges of the side boards B. p

rIhe upper edges of the side boards B, and the lower edges of theside-boards of the cap G should be bevelled, as shown in fig. l, toprevent the entrance of water.

Honey-boxes II may be placed upon the upper parts of the-'frames F,within the cap G, holes being made through the bottoms of said boxes,and corre-v spending holes being made through 'the top bars of the frameF, to allow the bees to pass into said boxes, to store the surplushoney. The boxes H arecovered rIhe ends ofthe hive beneath the end edgesof the cap. G are closed by doors, shutters, or detachable panels, I, sothat they may be removed to obtain a vview of the interior of' the hive,through the glass plates of the end frames F. The cap Gis secured' inplace by hooks or other conveniently-detachable fastenings.

other, lwith the recessed bottom board A, side boards 15,'pztl'tition C,and cap G, said frames being so constructed and arranged, that when puttogether they may form a close box, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The perforated metallic plates E, constructed substantially as hereinshown and described, in combination with the recessed bottom boards A,and with the frames F, as and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 8th day ofNovember, 1869. y ,f A)

JOHN MONTGOMERY.

Witnesses:

WM. M. MARTIN, B. H, BRANsFoRD.

